Hangboard Training

I've been climbing for about a year now. I started by treating it as mostly a social endeavor, and as a way to stay active during the winter months. In March of this year, I began taking the sport more seriously by following a periodized training schedule. I saw huge improvements from this, especially in my endurance and technique. Earlier this week, I completed my first 5.11 -- the hardest route I've done yet (still not impressie, though).

There are tons of books and blog posts that talk about the relative importance of strength and technique. At the end of the day, they're both really important; having only one is not an option. However, I can honestly say that my biggest constraint right now is my finger strength.

Enter the hangboard.:



Hangboards are considered one of the best tools for increasing finger strength. I installed my hangboard above my bedroom doorway 2 weeks ago, and I've started training on it 2x/week. Experts say that training more than this is a recipe for disaster (injury). A typical training sessions takes about 20 minutes -- 10 min warmup + 10 1 minute exercises. Exercises range from hanging from different holds with different grips, to pull ups, to hanging with arms bent, leg raises, etc. I've already started noticing a difference in my climbing, and my hangboard sessions have become easier. Once I can do the entire entry-level routine, I'll move on to intermediate. Looking forward to seeing how it helps.